3. Explanations

"Not long after I learned what had happened in Godric's Hollow, I arranged for Harry to be sent to live with the Dursleys. Sirius had gone off in search of Wormtail, and I felt as though Harry needed to be in a place free of the magical world, where he could live out a fairly normal childhood for a while. Though James's body was recovered from the ruins, Lily's wasn't; the Ministry assumed that it had been obliterated along with the Dark Lord's, and she was declared dead. However, I pondered on the possibility that she was not really dead. Since Lily and James had been under the Fidelius charm, I knew that she hadn't left the house before the attack, which left me with one theory; that when the Dark Lord cast his Killing Curse, it rebounded off Lily – presumably while she was trying to Apparate – and threw her through time instead of place. Technically, since her body and soul were removed from her place in time, she no longer existed, which meant that she had technically died protecting Harry. Therefore, her love blocked Voldemort's attack, and it rebounded on him, destroying his body instantly." Dumbledore reached the end of his explanation and remained silent for a few moments to allow everyone to absorb it.

Everyone in the room was processing what the former Headmaster had just said, and Lily felt as though she was never going to feel real again.

"Would it be too much to ask of all of you to allow me to speak with Mrs. Potter alone?" Dumbledore asked politely.

Everyone looked around at each other and stood up slowly. They all knew that if he was asking, it must be important, and they weren't about to start questioning him now. They filed out one by one and headed to their separate bedrooms. Remus squeezed Lily's shoulder and headed off to the kitchen with Molly and Arthur to discuss the Order's next move.

"What is it, Professor?" Lily asked hesitantly. "Everything you just told me seems pretty complete; what else can there be?"

Dumbledore swallowed hard and for the first time, he was unsure where to begin.

"Lily, there's another side to the story that only one other person in this world knows. That person has spent the past sixteen years doing everything he can to fix his mistakes and keep your son safe from Voldemort at all costs, simply out of his love for you."

"Professor, I'm afraid I don't understand." Lily replied, unsure where this was going.

"That man," Dumbledore continued, "is Severus Snape."

Not for the first time that day, Lily found herself overwhelmed with disbelief.

"Professor, there must be some mistake. Severus Snape has thought me a filthy Mudblood for years, and his only love is for the Dark Arts."

Dumbledore shook his head sadly. "Severus was indeed a very unusual child, but I can assure you that you were the one true love of his life. It was he who begged me to put you and your family into hiding in the first place. He was the first person to arrive at your house that day, and when he realized what Voldemort had done, he came to me and swore from then on to serve as a spy for the Order and to help bring about Voldemort's destruction. He has spent the past sixteen years working with me to keep Harry safe, despite great personal risk. To this day there is nothing in this world that occupies his mind more than you."

Lily stood up and began pacing the room. "This is preposterous. The man killed you under direct orders from Voldemort!"

Dumbledore held up his hand to silence her. "Severus killed me under direct orders from me. The soul of an innocent young boy hung in the balance, and I was, after all, quite an old man. He ended painlessly a life that was going to end soon anyway one way or another. Even then, he was reluctant, but I insisted. It was the only way he could continue to convince Voldemort of his loyalty and continue to assist the Order. In a way, it was the only way I could think of to save everyone's lives."

Lily was incredulous. "Why are you telling me all of this?"

Dumbledore took a deep breath. "Because I was wrong. My death may have saved the lives of everyone else, but Severus is now in grave danger, and you are the only one who can save his life."

Lily collapsed onto the couch and put her head in her hands.

"And just exactly how do you propose I do that?"

"Severus is quite adept at the Dark Arts. Though he has grown to despise them, Harry is going to need all the help he can get in his search for the remaining Horcruxes, and he may just need Severus's expertise in destroying a few of them. There is going to come a time by the end of this war where you are going to need him just as much as he needs you right now, Lily, and when that time comes, you will finally see him for who he truly is. For now though, you must convince him to flee from Voldemort. His life depends on it." Dumbledore insisted.